Problems and Symphonies
by Conductor of Darkness
Summary: Demyx is in love. Serina can't stand to be in the same room with him. In an odd turn of events, they are forced to spend more time together. Will Demyx be able to connect with the girl of his dreams, or will their differences drive them apart?
1. The Beginning

T h e B e g i n n i n g

There were only a few things in life that I hated. One of these things just happened to sit right next to me in chemistry. The name of this _thing_ was Demyx. Demyx Deaqua. He was the most annoying person I had ever met before in my life!

The blonde mulleted boy constantly chatted and I had the displeasure to always be his lab partner. He certainly wasn't the best when it came to following the instructor's directions.

Today, we had to put yeast in vinegar to see a reaction once it was bottled up. Unfortunately, the "genius" next to me put too much yeast and made the whole vial explode. No one was hurt, but we had to stay behind and clean it up.

'Why do I have to help clean this? It's all his fault, anyways.' I sighed, brushing away a strand of my silver hair. Today was just not my day...

T h e B e g i n n i n g

Serina scowled at me again. 'Damn, I keep screwing up...Why?'

I mentally kicked myself. I wanted to apologize, but something was holding me back.

'Probably my shame..' I reasoned, hanging my head lower to hide and also pick up a bit of broken glass. I got up and threw it away. As I walked back, I couldn't help but stare at her. Her long silver hair was pulled back, though a few strands were escaping the hair tie, forcing her to brush it away from her beautiful face. She sighed for probably the eighteenth time in the past five minutes. She looked up, noticing my eyes on her. "What?" She asked, obvious irritation in her chilly voice. "Nothing. Nothing at all." I sighed, getting back on all fours and helping her clean up. Today was just not my day...

**AN: So I've decided that I needed to go back and fix this prologue's missing words and such. I'm doing my best to keep the writing the same as a means of seeing the progress of my writing skills… although that's probably a derpy thing to do. =7= Well, I digress—if you would please review, maybe follow the story, I'm sure that I will be much more inspired to update. *shot***


	2. Reflections and Heartache

**I am oh-so sorry for the extremely long wait! D= I choose to blame school…. But now my writer's block and all other obstacles are gone and the Conducting of Darkness shall begin! (Many thanks to those who reviewed!)**

**Disclaimer: When Xemnas died, he wrote in his will that I would get Kingdom Hearts… Square Enix and Disney are only holding it for me until I am of legal age to invest in it.**

R e f l e c t i o n s a n d H e a r t a c h e

It was lunch time after science, and after we finally cleaned all the glass and chemicals I joined Kairi, Naminé, Sora, Riku and the others in the lunch line. "What took you so long?" Kairi asked, grabbing a tray for her and me. Riku responded with a chuckle, "Demyx blew up another lab and she got stuck cleaning up again." I groaned as everyone else laughed and made fun of the impossible boy. "That kid is a walking disaster, ya?" Wakka joked as he pulled Tidus into a headlock. The smaller boy squirmed out of it and socked Wakka in the arm. "I'll say. He can barely walk without tripping over his own feet." The group erupted in laughter again as I huffed and stated, "You guys think we could talk about _anything_ but him? I've had enough to last a lifetime…"

After everyone paid for their food, we went to the oak tree we usually sat beneath and began to eat. I picked at the sub sandwich and nibbled at my apple as I sat there and thought about everything. I just didn't get it… How could one person screw up so much? I've heard of people not being too good at a subject, and being nervous when it came to doing the work, but Deaqua was an extreme of this at the least. His voice was always really shaky, just like his hands. He would say the most random things and he was always a little sweaty. It was pretty gross actually. And he would just stare at me sometimes, like he just dazed out. Why on earth would anyone act like that at all?

'he is probably on some type of drug.' I scoffed at the thought, imagining the blonde sitting in his car with his friends and getting stoned. It would explain a lot of his actions, to say the least.

"…Serina? Hello, Earth to Serina!" I snapped from my trance and realized that Sora was waving his hand in front of my face. "Huh?" I uttered, most likely with a blank look on my face. "I _said_, are you going to go to the winter formal dance?" Sophie huffed. She suddenly brightened and stated "The theme is moonlit masquerade. Wakka is going to take me, and Sora is going with Kairi. Riku's taking Naminé… Maybe you can go there and meet a nice guy?" She sent me a smile as Wakka wrapped his arm around her shoulders. I was basically the only person in the group who was still single, which everyone else was trying so hard to fix. Sophie and Kairi kept introducing me to all these guys, none of whom intrigued me in the slightest. They were all the same, just different faces and names. Some were nice for friendship, but nothing more than that.

I thought for a moment before replying "I might… but it'd only be to hang out with you guys." The guys smirked as the girls groaned in unison with the exception of Naminé, who was quietly drawing as usual. She was one of my best friends and she had the best advice of anyone I knew. It sometimes seemed like she knew exactly what would happen.

All of a sudden, the intercom went on and the music teacher's voice echoed through the campus "Serina Fellis, please come to the band room." Cursing, I stood up. It must have been about our last project. Composition was not my strongpoint at all, so naturally when we were told to analyze a composition, I didn't do very well. I quickly gathered my things and waved a quick goodbye to everyone and said, "See you later."

R e f l e c t i o n s a n d H e a r t a c h e

I slumped into my seat next to Axel after coming from the lab. I groaned and rested my head on the table, hardly noticed by the red-haired pyromaniac and his boyfriend, Roxas, who were currently sucking each other's faces off. Most people were disgusted by it, but you get used to it after a year or two. Today, I had to turn my head away. I was too depressed by my own love life's problems to watch theirs be so "successful". A few minutes later, after they finally came up for air, and Axel stated almost in shock, "Dem, I didn't hear you sit down." I looked over, and Roxas gave me a worried look. "Wow, you don't look good."

"Yeah, who died Dem?" Axel popped a mint into his mouth with a small smirk at his own joke. Axel wasn't really one to be serious, but one learned how to tell between his sarcasm and a legitimate question. "I'm just tired…" I stated. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Roxas asked quizzically. I usually had a huge plate of food and was inhaling everything on it by now, but I didn't have the appetite. "Nah, I'm not hungry." Both guys gave me a shocked look at my statement. I was never "not hungry". Suddenly there was loud laughter coming from the lunch line. I looked over and saw Serina with her friends. Pieces of their conversation floated over to me.

"… Walking disaster…. Barely walk without tripping over his own feet." I realized with a sinking heart that they were talking about me. As they drifted closer, I heard Serina say with great annoyance, "You guys think we could talk about _anything_ but him? I've had enough to last a lifetime…" I unintentionally grimaced and Roxas looked at me with concern. "Dem, they don't mean it…"

I got up abruptly, tried to fake a smile and said, "I know… I'm gonna go to the band room. I need to practice anyways." I turned and walked away quickly and as inconspicuously as I could as Axel and Roxas tried to urge me to stay.

**Aw, poor Dem! Don't fret children, for magic shall happen very soon! The more you review, the quicker I'll reply!**


	3. Tutoring and Compromises

**Ello loves! Nobody has sent me a review... at all... but I decided to continue anyways! I have inspiration and I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!!! O.O... So enjoy! =^w^=**

**T u t o r i n g a n d C o m p r o m i s e s**

I slowly walked away from the bustling cafeteria and down the silent halls towards the band room. All I could hear were my footsteps and the thoughts that kept buzzing through my head. Why couldn't Serina give me a chance? I know I messed up a lot, but she didn't like me from day one... I don't know what her friends say about me, but they obviously aren't good things... I ran my fingers through my blonde mull-hawk, trying to ease some of the sad thoughts that plagued my mind.

I guess that this is what I should have expected, seeing as how she's one of the most popular and beautiful girls in school, and I'm... just a freak. A "walking disaster" as I've been called so many times in my life. My intentions are always, always good, but somehow things get so twisted that there's just no hope... I arrived to the band room and quietly opened the large metal door. It closed with a soft "clack" and the band teacher, Mr. Harrison, looked up from the papers he was grading.

"Oh, hello Demyx. I wasn't expecting you. Going to go practice?" He said with a smile. I smiled lightly back, and nodded my head. As I turned to go to the piano room, he quickly called to me, "Oh, and congratulations on your project. You scored the best yet again." I sent him another smile and a gracious nod of thanks before disappearing behind the cracked door of the piano room.

The old wooden piano bench greeted me with it's usual complaint as I sat down and exposed the keys of the grand piano. I worked the pedals for a moment and diddled a few notes before taking a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting my emotions move my fingertips. I quickly fell into my musical trance, my mind becoming blank with every measure that I played. This was my haven, my sanctity where no one could intrude. The world would sink away to nothingness as each bar carried me further and further away from any of my problems and closer to musical bliss. I could be there for moments or days and I would never know. This was just between me and the piano, my second love. If only my first love would just love me back....

**T u t o r i n g a n d C o m p r o m i s e s**

I couldn't help but hope that I could get this over and done with as quickly as possible. Band was fun, but when it came to discussing issues with work, Mr. Harrison tended to take a long time to explain exactly what he wanted you to do and why. I walked in and the tall, large, grey-haired man was sitting behind his desk and grading what was obviously the last project. The door closed and he looked up at me through his glasses, then ushered me to his desk with a quick hand wave. I silently obeyed and he took off his glasses, rubbed his face with his hands and then gave me a look that told me this was going to take a while.

He looked at me for a moment, then asked," Do you know why you're here?" I nodded and said "Yes sir." He then reached for a paper set aside and put it in front of me. I grimaced at the "D" in red on the top of the essay. He studied my face and waited for me to say something.

"That's not too bad..." Oh, who was I kidding, it was terrible. Especially since we went over it for the last month. I smiled sheepishly, but he simply looked at me and I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and looked away. He stated,"I think that you're going to need a tutor." Well, that was strangely blunt. I watched after him as he walked over to the piano room and opened the door. I heard a beautiful melody stream from the room the moment the door opened, and I was completely enthralled and entranced by it. It was so beautiful, yet it was heartbreaking to hear... Mr. Harrison came back out and gave me a strange look. "Are you alright?" I didn't understand what he meant, then I realized that I had a tear rolling down my cheek. I quickly wiped the hot wet streak from my face, and as I did I realized someone else was walking out of the piano room. I stood there, standing with my mouth agape...

"No way..."

**T u t o r i n g a n d C o m p r o m i s e s**

There was a rap at the door. I stopped playing and slowly got up from the bench to see Mr. Harrison at the door. "Could you come here for a minute." I ran my hands down my black shirt before stepping outside. As I looked out, I saw Serina standing in a daze and.... crying? As she saw us return, she quickly wiped away the tear and seemed to come back to reality. As her eyes focused, her lavender orbs turned to my face and a look of shock and awe came across her face. We stood there staring at each other for a moment and then Mr. Harrison cleared his throat to gain our attention. "Demyx, this is Serina, period 2 woodwinds. Serina, this is Demyx, period 5..." He chuckled, "Well, period 5 everything, to be honest." We stood there for a minute, completely silent. After a while, I had to look away... It hurt too much with her previous words echoing through my mind. Mr. Harrison awkwardly cleared his throat again and said,"Demyx... the reason I called you over here is because I need you to tutor Serina. She hasn't been doing the best, and, seeing how you have the best scores I have ever seen, perhaps you can help her." I snuck a glance at Serina and her cheeks were a little flushed... it was so cute, I had to smile. I relaxed a little and said, "I can, if she'd like my help." I smiled a little at her. She seemed to be contemplating and Mr. Harrison walked away, saying something about letting us "get aquainted." She seemed to give me a look she had never given me before... I'm not sure whether it was a good thing or not.

"...So, you're really good at music, huh?" It was the first real thing she had said to me. I gave her a shy smile and said, "yeah, you could say that..." She returned a small smile, then responded," well, maybe we can make a deal..." I worried my bottom lip, afraid that it would be something I wouldn't be too happy about. I tensed up as she took a step forward.

" How about this? If you tutor me in music... I'll tutor you in science." My eyes widened at the proposition. I was having problems in science, and if anyone knew that it was her. This would be the perfect opportunity.

"Alright, sounds good to me."

**Gasp! Is it just me, or does it look like they might get along!! D= A shock! I guess we'll see... Review please!!!**


	4. Families and Loneliness

F a m i l i e s A n d L o n e l i n e s s

I walked through the door of my grand house to be greeted by the sounds of cartoons, signifying my little brother was home. Taking off my shoes and dumping my bag at the entrance, I walked through the kitchen, grabbing myself a water bottle from the refrigerator and calling out to my brother, "Hey Joshua. Is mom here?"

He simply shook his head, stating, "She left a note. Serina, can I have some grapes please?" I turned to the counter, seeing the small parchment with my mom's penmanship on it. I read it as I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and washed Josh's grapes.

It read:

_ "Serina,_

_ I had to go straight back to work after dropping off your brother. I assume you can take care of dinner for the both of you. Take $20 from the jar, but no more. Try to make sure Josh eats healthy. Your father is still out of town on business and I'll be home late, so make sure Josh gets to bed at a decent hour for school tomorrow._

_ Mom"_

Sighing, I walked over to the living room and placed the cleaned grapes in front of Josh. He looked at me through his glasses with expectant golden eyes, some of his silver hair falling in front of his face. He, like me, received our mother's silky smooth hair, yet he got our father's glowing golden eyes. It seemed like that was the only reminder of our father in the house at all anymore.

I smiled lightly, ruffled his hair, and asked, "What do you want for dinner later?"

"They aren't coming home for dinner?" I shook my head, and we exchanged sad smiles. We were use to this routine by now, but it still stung every time to know they didn't want to spend their time with us. At least we had each other. We turned off the big screen television and discussed whether we wanted to eat in or out as we sat on the designer white couch. You could say that our family was rich when it came to the monetary status, but what our family had in materials and green bank paper, we greatly lacked in family times and togetherness.

"What do we have to eat here?" Josh asked, popping a grape into his mouth and chewing it slowly.

"By the looks of the fridge, hardly anything worthwhile. We can either go to the grocery store and pick something up, or we can go ahead and go out to eat. What do you think?" Josh thought for a long while, popping more grapes into his mouth.

Suddenly, his features brightened and he said excitedly, "Can you make that Chinese stir-fry I really like?"

I chuckled. "Only if you help me pick everything out." He jumped up from the couch and exclaimed with great enthusiasm, nearly knocking the bowl of grapes to the floor. Laughing, I told him to go get ready. He bound away, all sadness forgotten to find his shoes.

"Not too fast! You know better, don't over-excite yourself!" I yelled after him as I went back into the kitchen. I grabbed the stepping stool from beside the refrigerator, carefully placed it against the counter and climbed up to reach over the cupboard to a hidden safe, unlocking it and pulling down a large jar full of money. It had about $500,000 collecting dust in it. I gently placed it on the counter, then came down from the stool and grabbed a twenty, placing it in the wallet I retrieved from my back pocket and then returned the large bank to its hiding place.

As I put the stepping stool away, I could hear Josh humming while he sat on the stairs. It brought a smile to my face. Making him happy was always something that made the hardest day bearable. I gathered up our "walking kit" and put a couple bottles of water into it. Being 15, I was unable to drive just yet. Finally, I made my way to the door, slipping my shoes on before ushering Josh out the door and locking it. We made our way to the store, talking and laughing about our days. I told Josh about the science mishap, just like the many others, as well as the tutoring deal. He walked beside me, a curious look passing over his features.

"Hey Serina," He said, "What if he isn't really that bad in science?" I looked at him, bewildered at the comment.

"Josh, he messes up every lab, and he fails every test. How is that not bad at science?" We began to cross the street, Josh walking a little ahead of me. He was kicking a rock carelessly ahead, staring as it danced across the asphalt.

"I dunno, maybe he just gets nervou-" Suddenly, a black car came speeding around the corner, heading straight for Josh.

"Josh!" I reached around his waist and pulled him back just in time, falling over from the momentum. I sat there, catching my breath, placing a hand over my heart, letting it settle… Heart… My eyes widened as I looked over at Josh. His breathing was extremely heavy and he looked like he was in pain. Quickly, I moved him so he was on his back. I felt for his already-irregular pulse. It was skipping more than usual, meaning that his heart valve was letting in more blood than it should. Quickly, I began to do a form of CPR, trying to work his heart so that it would pump regularly again. Five minutes passed and his heart finally settled in its normal pulse. His breathing was still heavy though.

I reached into our "walking kit" and grabbed Josh's inhaler, shaking it for him and bringing it to his mouth. He grabbed it, relief in his eyes. Once he finished, he handed it back to me, a smile on his face.

"Thank you…" he said hoarsely. I handed him a water bottle and he took it graciously.

"You feel alright?" I asked. I realized we were still in the street by the curb, but I wasn't going to rush him. He had to deal with things like this from birth. Damn that heart murmur… It was hindering his childhood and his life. Josh stood up and I followed suit, watching him closely to make sure that he wasn't going to collapse. He fixed his glasses and gave me a small smile, signifying he was alright. Relieved, I grabbed his hand and we walked across the street, with more caution than before.

F a m i l i e s a n d L o n l i n e s s

The streets downtown were always empty, tonight being no different as I drove to my apartment. The street lights glowed amber as I passed under them silently, not even my old silver Nissan making very much noise. I pulled into my usual parking place, grabbing my sitar from the back of the car and my school bag and made my way up the stairs quietly. Once I reached my door, I searched for the right key and unlocked the deadbolt and the knob. Now that I was finally home, I could relax. I put my things down, then relocked the door and made sure the chain was on. This area was known for its burglaries, and I needed my instruments to be safe. I would move out if it weren't for the great price and-

A whimper came from the door to my bedroom, as well as a very light scratching noise. I smiled lightly, and called out, "Bell…" Another whimper drifted from behind the doorway as I made my way over to it and opened the door. A medium-sized American Pit bull greeted me happily as I crouched down and pet her.

"There's my pretty girl, my Isabel," I cooed lightly. She wagged her tail excitedly as I scratched behind her ears before I got up and went to the kitchen. Isabel followed closely behind. Her food bowl was empty and her water dish low. I moved over to the cupboard above the fridge and grabbed Isabel's food. She began wagging her tail even more and ate happily once I filled her bowl. I gave her fresh water, and then I went back to my stuff to put it away.

I placed my school bag on the old couch and made my way to the bedroom. I flicked on the lights of the small room to reveal my full-sized bed adorned with a plain black comforter and matching pillows. Surrounding the bed were all my instruments. I had a couple guitars hanging on the wall, as well as my keyboard in what little space I had between the bed and one of the walls. My closet was on the other side, a few more instruments hiding inside with the closet door covered in posters of my favorite bands and a few pictures of my friends and me.

I sat on the bed and pulled out my sitar from it's case, gingerly caressing the strings with my fingers before beginning to play, a soft sad tune floating through the air as I thought of the reason I was here, alone. True, it was a bit lonely here, but it was much better than the situation I had been in before. Being rejected by my family was not exactly the most pleasant part of my life, but it led me here, whether I wanted it to or not. I could still remember everything like it was yesterday…

***Two Years Ago***

_It was another dark and cold night alone with my mother. She had been crying again, drinking away her problems and numbing her pain as I practiced playing my sitar in my room. I hated to see her cry, but she refused to be happy after my dad died. That was eight years ago though. Since then, we moved from place to place as she jumped from relationship to relationship, sometimes marrying them, sometimes they were already married. She usually used them for their money, alcohol or drugs and fulfilled their lust for skin in return. As a fourteen-year-old, it disgusted me, but I had no say in anything. I was dragged along to witness the dark side of life and watch mistake after mistake be made._

_I heard my mother run into the kitchen to throw up in the sink. Once that was finished, I heard the clinking of glass as she pulled out another bottle of whiskey to get the taste of her sickness out of her mouth. It was then that her recent husband stumbled through the door, high, drunk or just angry again. He slammed the door and clambered into the kitchen, his speech slurred as he yelled, "What th' Hell you doin'? Gimme tha' bottle, you drink too damn much… NOW, BITCH!"_

_She yelled as he knocked it out of her hands and it shattered against the wall. I tried to pretend I wasn't there, fear and rage filling me as I listened._

_She began yelling out, "Let go of me! Fucker, I'll call the police! Stop, that HURTS!" I could tell he had dragged her into the living room. Against my better judgment, I cracked my door open to see everything that was going on. He threw her on the floor by the couch, where she lay in a heap, glaring up at him. She spat out at him, "This is no way to treat a lady!"_

_His laughter was cold as he stood over her, taunting her. "LADY? You're nothin' but a filthy whore! You're lucky to not be on the STREETS with your bastard son." He spat on her and she wiped it away, a disgusted look on her face. He wiped his nose smugly, and then bent down to half whisper to her. I opened the door a bit more and leaned closer to hear what he was going to say._

"_Bet that's why your first husband left you, right? You jus' tell ev'rone he died, bu' he just couldn' stand your shit anymore…" He laughed cruelly as my mother began to weep, crying out "That's not true…" between sobs. My blood was boiling and I started to see red, my fists clenched until my knuckles turned white. _

_It was here he decided to further her suffering. He stood up and turned his attention to the hall. It was dark, so he couldn't see me staring back at him. He turned to my mother, "Why don't we see if tha' lil brat's home anyways…" He began to make his way toward me, my heart pumping with adrenaline and fear. Suddenly, he lurched back, trying to keep his balance. My mother had clung to his leg, begging, "Please, no! Leave Demyx out of it! I'll do anything; just don't hurt my son…" Either she was more drunk than usual or her maternal instincts finally kicked in. He grunted, trying to kick her off. When she didn't let go, he grabbed her hair and pulled her off, her screams of pain piercing the air._

_I stared in horror as he tossed her aside like a doll. He began making his way towards me again. I scrambled away from the door, searching for anything to defend myself with. He slammed the door open, but before he took another step, my mother had jumped onto his back, screeching like an animal, scratching and biting him. He let out a string of curses, stumbling backwards into the living room again, trying to pry her off._

_Once he successfully pulled her off, he glared at her, seething with anger before socking her straight in the eye. She yelped in pain, falling to the floor. The second her head hit the floor, he was on top of her, beating her and beating her._

_The next thing I could remember, I was tackling this monster over, using all my strength to hit him again and again, yelling out my rage, looking through a veil of tears. He grabbed my fist mid-punch and threw me into the coffee table that was littered with empty alcohol bottles and shot glasses. It came down with a crash, some of the glass breaking beneath my weight. I cried out in pain as the shattered pieces pierced my skin. Panting heavily, he stood up, and then he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and began to lift my limp body. _

_To his (and my) great surprise, I grabbed one of the legs of the broken coffee table and hit him as hard as I could in the head. He finally fell over, unconscious. I got up, my back in searing pain, blood soaking through my shirt._

_My mother cried out from the other side of the room, running toward me. I outstretched my arms to embrace her, this terrible ordeal finally over. She pushed me over so I landed painfully on the couch, kneeling next to the man that had just beaten her._

_She began crying, yelling out, "Oh God, why… Why did you do this?" She gave me the worst look I had ever seen, pure anger in her swollen face. She was angry…. At me…? _

_She stood up, pushing my shoulder harshly, not noticing the blood on her hand when she brought it back to her side. "He was our lifeline! How are we supposed to survive now? YOU IDIOT!" She slapped me, smearing my own blood on my face. I sat there, my head still turned where she had slapped me. It took a few moments for the shock and the stinging to settle._

_I looked up at her and gave her a look of disbelief. I just saved her life… and here she was, screaming at me, and hitting me. Astonishment turned to anger. Any remorse I had for her turned to hatred in that one move. Slowly I stood up, my face set in anger. She backed up, afraid of me and rightfully so. I wasn't sure what I was going to do myself; I was too overrun with anger. I grabbed her arm as softly as I could over her dark bruises, and brought my face close to hers. I squeezed lightly as I stated. "Don't. Ever. Hit me. Again." I stared into her fear-stricken eyes for a moment, then let her go, walking into my room._

_I gathered up my bag, putting what little I owned in it. I wasn't going to take any of this shit anymore. I was done with everything I had to live with for the past eight years. I put my sitar in its case and slung it over my shoulder, then grabbed the bag and headed out of my room. I looked at my mother, who was putting a pillow underneath her abuser's head, petting at his hair. She looked up at me, startled. It seemed she had forgotten I was there. She eyed the bag in my hand and the sitar on my back. Her face turned smug as she said, "If you walk out that door, don't ever think you can come back."_

_I walked to the door and opened it. Before I left, I answered, "Good. I won't." And slammed the door. That was the last time I ever saw my mother again._

***Present Day***

I looked up from my sitar to see Isabel staring at me, her head resting on the edge of the bed. When she saw that I had acknowledged her presence, she barked once and hopped up on the bed, licking my face. I laughed lightly, scratching behind her ears as I tried to make her stop licking my face.

"Easy girl, easy…" Once she started to calm down, she hopped down from the bed and went to her own dog bed, almost instantly falling asleep. I chuckled at her, and then put the sitar away. I looked at the clock on my bedside table and groaned. It was 11:30 PM and I had school tomorrow. Feeling even more tired than before, I gathered my sleeping clothes and trudged to the bathroom. I turned the water on so that it would have time to warm up as I undressed. I pulled off my black shirt, followed by my matching undershirt, revealing the many scars on my back. I rubbed my shoulder lightly before leaning against the sink and taking off my shoes, tossing them and my socks towards the door. Then I took off my belt and let my black shorts fall to the floor, pulling my boxers off and letting them fall on top of the shorts. I stepped into the now warm shower, letting the warm water wash over me for a few minutes.

I couldn't help but think about what happened today in school. Was it some sort of sick irony that Mr. Harrison had chosen me to tutor Serina? Or was it just coincidence… No, it had to be more than coincidence. I wouldn't dare say Fate, but what else would you call it? Then there was the other prospect… Was this going to help me, or put me through another ring of Hell I had yet to discover? I smirked. I was being a bit dramatic. We'd simply have to see what happened…

I finished my nightly routine, then went to bed, exhaustion taking over very quickly. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, and I was looking forward to it…

F a m i l i e s a n d L o n l i n e s s

I turned the light off in Josh's room before closing the door until it left just a crack of light into the room. I knew he was fast asleep after the excitement from today. I made my way to my room and slowly stripped myself of my day clothes to put on my pajamas. After the comfortable red cami and shorts were on, I went down the hall into the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. After I brushed my teeth, I took a moment to look at myself in the mirror.

My lavender orbs studied my features. I had an uncanny resemblance to my mother, yet I was so different from her. She was a workaholic, always striving for perfection. She always needed to have a perfect family, a perfect husband, the perfect house, and perfect children. I had already failed her when I decided I wanted to sing instead of practice law. When Joshua was born, she nearly put him up for adoption due to his heart condition. Luckily, my father was able to convince her otherwise. She decided that he could still fill the role of the perfect son, yet Dad and I were the ones that had to take care of him until he entered school and my father got his promotion and had to travel for work all the time. Dad and I had a special relationship that Josh wasn't able to have. I tried to fill in for both him and our mother, but I was technically still a kid… How much can one kid really do?

Sighing, I made my way back to the bedroom and crawled into bed. My homework was finished and Joshua was in bed. All that was left to do was go to sleep, but something was troubling me…

Then I remembered: I had to figure out when to start this tutoring thing. I groaned, realizing I had to spend even more time with the guy that I was certain I simply could not get along with. Why did I add even more time to that by offering to tutor him in return? Stupid…Oh wait, it was to help boost my grade. Every time he messed up an experiment, I had to be docked points as well. It just wasn't fair… Sighing I rolled over. Oh well, tomorrow was going to be a new day, and I was hopefully going to not let things get to me…

**Hello everyone! I realize it's been awhile, but hopefully this makes up for it? Here's to hoping…. I decided that this story needed a bit more depth… But please don't kill me for making Demyx have a terrible past! T~T There's a reason, I promise! Reviews make me happy and happiness makes the world go 'round! *throws confetti***


	5. Tardiness and Anger

**Hello my pretties! Glad you could make it to Chapter 5 of ****Problems and Symphonies****. As we may recall, in the last chapter we learned about Demyx's past and how he lives alone as well as the fact that Serina's parents are never home and her brother Josh has a heart murmur. Things could get interesting here….**

**Many thanks for the reviews! They make my life so complete… *sniffle* Anyways, let's move on with the story! =D**

The bell rang and students shuffled into the classroom grudgingly. Many were already looking forward to the following lunch rather than the lecture they were sure to receive about some sort of chemical. I took my usual seat in the front right corner of the room, so that I was close enough to hear the teacher and out of the way enough that once I finished my work I wouldn't be a distraction to the other students. While I waited for the class to settle and begin, I decided to listen to some music. I reached into my purse, pulled out my iPod and placing an ear bud in and began to play Queen's _Bohemian Rhapsody. _Most students weren't allowed to use their iPods in class, but since I obviously was smart enough to grasp the concepts, I had some leniency. It could also be because Ms. Garett was sympathetic to my situation with Demyx.

The small frizzy-haired teacher stood up and called for everyone's attention. "Alright children, please be seated while I take role." I fetched my notebook and pencil, prepared for the upcoming notes.

"Riku?"

"Here."

"Clyde?"

"Yo."

"Cyndi?"

"Present."

"Demyx?"

The silence that followed was expected by everyone. Demyx was not one to be prompt to class. As Ms. Garret sent a disapproving look towards the empty seat next to me, I couldn't help but wonder how difficult it was to simply be where you had to be on time. Especially when it came to something as simple as school. Most of the rumors were that he would always go and do some type of drug between classes and that was why he acted the way he did. Some of the claims seemed legitimate, but in the end they were all just word of mouth, nothing ever confirmed yet. I tucked a strand of my silver hair behind my ear and tried not to roll my eyes at the blonde's absence. The tutoring might be even more difficult than I imagined.

I awoke with a start. Sweat covered my body and I was struggling for air. I looked down to see Isabel stepping on my stomach, whining. I really needed to train her not to panic when I was having a bad dream. Pushing her off I caught my breath and looked at the clock. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of the blinking digits. The power went out again last night. Cursing, I jumped up and looked at my watch. I was definitely late for school.

Muttering curses throughout my frantic search for clothes, necessary bathroom routines and the overfilling of Isabel's dishes, I did all that I could to get out the door quickly. Isabel barked in her agitated way. She was a patient dog, but when you have to go, you have to go. I quickly grabbed my backpack and put Isabel on a leash, unlocked all of the locks and practically ran into my neighbor.

"Hey, watch it!" the one-eyed greying man cried out as he tried to keep from scalding himself with his coffee. Panting, I managed to gasp out a quick "sorry!". Xigbar looked at Isabel, then my fairly panicked face, sighed and took the leash from me. Throwing him a sheepish smile, I managed a "Thanks, I'll repay you!" before racing down the steps and away in my car.

I couldn't help but feel like an idiot. It was my first day to start to prove my worth to Serina, and I couldn't even get up in time for that. Cursing to myself, I sped through a yellow light, refusing to let anything besides myself get in the way. It seemed as if it was inevitable for me to get into my own way, even with something as important as showing the girl I like that I can do the simplest task, getting to school on time. I zoomed around a slow-moving van and accelerated, finally reaching the school. I grabbed my bag, locked the car and ran through the halls, bursting through the doors of my classroom. The startled blank stares I received were most likely due to the fact that I never rushed to class. Ms. Garett cleared her throat, obviously annoyed. Embarrassed by the whispers and scattered giggles, I blushed, mumbled a quick 'sorry' and retreated to my seat, Serina rolling her eyes at me as I did.

'Boy, I'm turning out to be the pick of the prime…' I let out a frustrated sigh and placed my head on my desk. I quickly snuck a glance at the silver haired girl beside me. Her lavender orbs were focused and bright as she took her notes, occasionally displaying her habit of biting her pen as she organized her thoughts. Looking at her, I couldn't help but be charmed by her beauty. She was so beautiful and so smart. She could easily be the muse that I had been longing to find. It was too bad she despised me so much. My heart throbbed with the familiar pain and I lay my forehead on the desk, hoping the dark voices in my mind would just shut up already.

He was staring at me again. I could easily feel his eyes on me. The only thing that I could think to do was to focus all of my attention on the notes to diverge some of the awkwardness. Finally, he stopped staring at me after a good few minutes and appeared to fall asleep. Figures. A part of me wanted to wake him up by smacking him, but I decided to go ahead and let him sleep. He seemed a bit off today and I wasn't going to be the one to sour his mood anymore. After a good hour of notes, the bell finally rang for lunch. I was more than ready to leave the classroom, but my appetite was lost from all of the drool from the blonde next to me. I made my way to my friends in line, ready to wind down and relax. Kairi and Sophie began talking about going dress shopping for the Winter Formal, even though it was still a month away. I nodded and smiled and pretended to even understand what they were saying so fast, but a noise above the crowd sent my smile away in the blink of an eye.

"Serina! I need to talk to you!" A familiar voice called out. I groaned, praying that it was just my imagination. It wasn't. The boys smirked and chuckled as Demyx approached me, a little out of breath. Kairi and Sophie whispered to each other and giggled. Why did he have to come over when I was obviously with my friends…? I threw everyone a nervous smile and tried to ignore the blonde, but he grabbed my shoulder. Everyone grew silent, because they knew better than to touch me. I flinched away from his grasp and sent him the worst look I could muster.

"Don't. Touch me." I practically spit the words into his face, probably a little louder than necessary. He backed up, obviously confused. Why wouldn't he be? I knew it wasn't normal to react that way from a simple hand on the shoulder, but I didn't have a normal reason, either.

"Serina-"

"Get away from me!" And with that, he ran off, confusion and hurt etched into his features.

**What's wrong with Serina? Why is everyone so mean to Demyx? Why am I asking you all these questions? You'll have to wait to see. And I promise that I will not take so long to update again… Please review, I would love to know what you guys think! ~COD**


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